Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

A state visit to Ireland by the President of the Republic of Estonia, Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, is due to take place in mid-April 2008. There is a strong likelihood that a second state visit, from another of the countries that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, will take place later in the year.

The general purpose of visits by Heads of State, including visits by the President abroad, is to promote a country's image internationally and to develop economic, political and cultural links with the countries visited. The usual practice is to make two state visits a year abroad and to receive a similar number of state visits to Ireland. Apart from state visits, other incoming visits by Heads of State for official purposes sometimes arise. There are no visits of this kind planned, at this stage, for 2008.

As the Deputy will appreciate, visits at this level normally involve considerable planning and lengthy lead-in times.

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